New breathalyser detects early signs of cancer in your breath

Scientists have developed a new device that can detect the early warning signs of breast and lung cancer in your breath.

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology unveiled their new breathalyser system at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

The device, which is still awaiting clinical trials, may provide an alternative to current expensive and invasive screening processes.

For diagnosis, a patient blows into a tube and their breath is captured in a specialised storage container. The breath is then sent to a lab, where a chemical sensor is applied to look for compounds given off by a body with cancerous cells.

Not only would the device offer an alternative to CAT scans and mammograms, but it’s transportable state makes it important for those in third world countries and remote areas.

Charlene Bayer, a lead researcher on the project, said: “Most of the directions people are moving in are toward the more complex, the more expensive. I wanted something that’s rugged, cheap and easy enough to be done at a routine physical.”

If the breathalyser proves successful in clinical trials, it will be licensed and made available to people in the UK with health insurance.

New breathalyser detects early signs of cancer in your breathScientists have developed a new device that can detect the early warning signs of breast and lung cancer in your breath. Researchers atFollow @activequote

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